Google Charts

Google Charts provides chart types for visualizing data on websites, from line charts to hierarchical treemaps. Developers commonly add a chart with JavaScript, a chart object, and a matching div element. Charts can be customized to fit a site’s appearance, and their events can connect visualizations into dashboards or other webpage experiences. Rendering uses HTML5 and SVG, with VML support for older Internet Explorer versions, and does not require user plugins. Listed data sources include webpages, databases, Google Spreadsheets, Google Fusion Tables, Salesforce, and providers compatible with the Chart Tools Datasource protocol. Interactive charts need access to Google’s gstatic loader; the terms do not allow the visualization code to be downloaded or hosted locally. Google says data sent to its servers for rendering is held briefly for debugging and then discarded, with limited legal exceptions to its non-sharing statement. Google also warns that third-party charts run JavaScript and may contain vulnerabilities, and advises checking whether they send data to third-party sites. The service is free, and its FAQ says commercial use is available under its terms. Support includes a user discussion forum and an issue tracker.

Google Charts offers customizable web visualizations and connections between charts for interactive pages. Its reliance on Google’s loader and the stated limits on local hosting matter for deployment planning.

Google Charts suits developers adding interactive visualizations or dashboards to web pages. It may also fit commercial projects, provided users follow Google’s terms and can load the interactive code from Google’s servers.

Google Charts is a JavaScript library for adding interactive data visualizations to websites. It suits teams building charts into web pages, especially when a free service and a broad chart gallery matter. The trade-off is a deployment that depends on Google’s loader and cannot be hosted locally.

Overview

The gallery spans familiar line charts through hierarchical treemaps, and charts can be styled to match a site. HTML5 and SVG rendering, with VML support for older Internet Explorer versions, avoids the need for user plugins. That makes Google Charts a practical fit for web publishing across a range of browser generations.

It is a library for embedding visualizations, rather than a standalone dashboard destination: JavaScript, a chart object, and a matching page element are the typical building blocks. Its interactive events let developers connect charts into dashboards or other page experiences. This flexibility is useful when visualizations need to live inside an existing site, but it presumes implementation work.

Key features

• Chart gallery and customization: Ready-to-use chart types cover multiple ways to present data, while styling options help align charts with a website’s look.
• Data connections: Sources include web pages, databases, Google Spreadsheets, Google Fusion Tables, Salesforce, and providers compatible with the Chart Tools Datasource protocol. This range can connect charts to existing data systems.
• Interactive dashboards: Chart events can link visualizations into a coordinated dashboard or another webpage experience. Embedded dashboards and scheduled refresh are supported.
• Rendering and access: HTML5 and SVG support, plus VML for older Internet Explorer versions, provide plugin-free rendering. Interactive charts still need Google’s gstatic loader, so they are not suited to offline use or local hosting.

Google says data sent to its servers for rendering is retained briefly for debugging and then discarded, with limited legal exceptions to its non-sharing policy. Third-party charts execute JavaScript and may carry vulnerabilities; Google advises checking whether they send data to outside sites. That matters when choosing chart sources for pages handling sensitive data.

Google continually improves Charts, with releases every few months. It offers a user discussion forum and an issue tracker for suggestions to its developer team. The Visualization API can be used commercially subject to Google’s terms of service.

Pricing

Google Charts is free: the Google Charts plan costs nothing. There is no free trial because the service has a free plan. That removes a subscription cost for teams embedding charts, while the loader requirement means the free service also ties interactive chart delivery to Google’s servers.

Platforms

The listed platforms are Android, iOS, and web, while the product’s stated purpose and integration model center on visualizations embedded in webpages with JavaScript.

Who it's for

Choose Google Charts when you need interactive, customizable charts inside a website, want a wide range of chart types, and can rely on Google’s hosted loader. It is less suitable when deployment rules require locally hosted visualization code or charts must work without access to Google’s servers.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free service with a gallery from line charts to treemaps; charts can be customized and connected through events; HTML5 and SVG rendering needs no user plugins.
• Cons: Interactive charts depend on Google’s gstatic loader and cannot be locally hosted under the terms; embedding uses JavaScript, so it is aimed at web implementation rather than a standalone charting workflow.

Alternatives

For a broader selection, browse Data Visualization Software.

• Datawrapper is a freemium option with a free plan for charts, maps, and tables, web publishing and embedding, PNG downloads, and visible attribution. Choose it when those publishing outputs matter.
• Looker is a paid option with a free trial and a Standard plan that includes one production instance, 10 Standard Users, two Developer Users, and 1,000 query-based API calls per month. Consider it when that specified instance and user setup fits your needs.
• AnyChart is a paid option with a free plan and trial; its listed plans include $49 a month for two developers and $139 a month for one developer. Choose it if those developer plans better fit your project.
• Klipfolio is paid, has no free plan, and offers a Base plan at $120 a month billed annually, with three dashboards, unlimited users, four-hour data refresh, and 130+ data integrations. Consider it when that dashboard and integration package suits your team.
• Highcharts Maps is a paid option with a free plan and trial. Consider it as an alternative for map-focused work.
• CanvasJS is freemium with a free plan and trial; its Chart Website plan costs $299 a month for one developer and one non-SaaS website. Consider it when that website license matches your deployment.
• StatSilk is freemium with a free plan and includes a StatPlanet Cloud Non-commercial plan at $495 a year for unlimited users. Consider it if that plan fits your use.
• Plotly is freemium with a free plan and trial, and its listed platforms include self-hosted. Consider it if self-hosting is a priority.

Verdict

Google Charts is a strong choice for developers who want free, customizable interactive visualizations embedded in web pages, with a gallery broad enough to cover common charts through treemaps. Its main reason to choose elsewhere is deployment: if you need to host the visualization code locally or operate without Google’s loader, this is not the right fit.